How to Learn German Language: Tips & Tricks to Pass German Exam for Beginners
Importance of learning German for career, education and travel
German as a language has far reaching benefits that has some very interesting advantages in education, career and even travel opportunities.
Education
Having a fluent grasp on german language opens the door to proper educational opportunity within germany and allows you to learn any subject at top rated institutions free of cost or with lower tuition fees.
Career
Major MNC’s like BMW, Siemens and Volkswagen have high regard in hiring individuals with this specific language hold and at the same time the opportunities for a german language learner within his career lifetime is more promising and providing.
Travel
Nothing is more simplified than the traveling prospects for people who are aiming to navigate Europe as German is the most well known language in countries like Switzerland, Austria and other parts of Europe where German is given preference.
Benefits of passing a German language exam
The basic German language test or GLPT [German Language Proficiency Test], has a host of benefits and plays a huge role in helping a person explore opportunities as well as culture.
Education
At its core the german language test primes you to qualify for university entrance test exams and more on so university programs (DSH, TestDAF required). You will have the advantage of being able to get access to quality education and valuable resource access.
Immigration
Having a good grip on German eases the complex visa process for those who wish to migrate and allows for better scope for permanent residence on the ground of having better command over the language.
Work
Work opportunities and the ability to navigate a career through Germany comes hand in hand with German language proficiency and almost undoubtedly simplifies the process without a doubt.
Tips for Beginners to Learn German
In order to master German you need a good mindset that allows you to stay committed in the process of gaining fluency. This will require you to practically ask yourself why you are learning German and what other plans you have after.
Among the main basic tips provided here will have two categories one that deal with resonatory tips that will help you to build consistency to keep going with your plans and the second one would be foundational tips.
Resonatory tips
- Practice is key : starting is not enough. Going over with your materials and your daily lessons repeatedly is the only way to master it otherwise it won’t do.
- Speak up : one of the key boosters of any language proficiency is confidence that you build through speaking early on, ignoring any kind of thoughts of embarrassment in total.
- Be fully involved : refer to german shows, movies and other things, keep yourself immersed in it.
Foundational tips
The German basics boil down to four things which we will briefly touch in this section!
- Alphabet: Very similar to English but includes umlauts (ä, ö, ü) and “ß”.
- Grammar: They have noun genders and cases like masculine, feminine, neuter, nominative, accusative etc
- Vocabulary: Many similar to english (Haus = house)
- Pronunciation: They give importance to clear vowels, many like “ch” and “r” require practice.
Pro tip: Start with resources like goethe institute and self study guides.
Key grammar for beginners
This is a concise guide section that will be helpful in starting out as well as revising the basics.
Introduction to noun genders [der, die, das]
All nouns in German have genders;
- Masculine (der) eg: der tisch [the table]
- Feminine (die) eg: die blume [the flower]
- Neuter (das) eg: das buch [the book]
Common verb conjugation rules
Changes in german verbs depend upon subjects, the table provided below will help you navigate better.
Subject | Verb form |
Ich [I] | Bin |
Du [You] | Bist |
Er/Sie/Es [he/she/it] | Ist |
Wir [we] | Sind |
Ihr [you all] | Seid |
Sie [they/you formal] | Sind |
Regular verbs;
- Base form – spielen [to play]
- Remove “en” to change
Eg: Ich spiele, Du spiele
Basic sentence structure [Subject-Verb-Object]
The basic german sentence follows the SVO [sunject-verb-object] format
Eg: Ich Lese bien buch [I read a book]
Key rules to follow:
- 2nd element is always the verb in the main clause:
Heute lese ich ein Buch (Today, I read a book.) - Verb comes first in questions
Liest du ein Buch? (Are you reading a book?) - The verb goes to the end in subordinate clauses
Ich lese, weil ich Zeit habe (I read because I have time.)
Core vocabulary to learn
Everyday phrases for communication
Here’s a list of common phrases and greeting words for you to get started!
Greetings
- Guten Morgen – Good morning
- Hallo – Hello
- Guten Abend – Good evening
- Mir gehts gut, danke – I’m good, thank you
- Wie gehts ? – How are you?
Common phrase
- Danke – Thank you
- Bitte – Please
- Enschuldigung – Excuse me
- Wie viel kostet das – How much does this cost ?
- Wo ist ? – where is ?
Ich verstehe, nicht – I don’t understand
High-frequency words for beginners
These will be commonly used words which help anyone easily catch on with the language!
Basic verbs
- haben (to have)
- sein (to be)
- machen (to do/make)
- gehen (to go)
- lesen (to read)
- kommen (to come)
Essential nouns
- das Essen (food)
- das Haus (house)
- die Familie (family)
- das Wasser (water)
- der Freund (friend)
Question words
- Was? – What?
- Wo? – Where?
- Wer? – Who?
- Warum? – Why?
- Wann? – When?
CEFR Framework overview
This refers to the common european framework for languages sections language proficiency into 6 levels namely A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2.
Explanation of levels
A1 [Beginner]
Exam Alignment: Goethe-Zertifikat A1.
Abilities: basic phrases, self introduction, asking simple questions.
Example: Where is the bathroom? (Wo ist die Toilette?)
A2 [Elementary]
Exam Alignment: Goethe-Zertifikat A2.
Abilities: Ability to communicate in routine tasks, able to your background and environment.
Example: I would like a coffee (Ich möchte einen Kaffee.)
B1 [Intermediate]
Exam Alignment: Goethe-Zertifikat B1, TestDaF (partial).
Abilities: recognize and handle familiar topics, offer opinions, communicate and deal with travel situations.
Example: I think this book is very interesting. (Ich finde dieses Buch sehr interessant.)
B2 [Upper Intermediate]
Exam Alignment: Goethe-Zertifikat B2, TestDaF (partial), IELTS (6.5–7.0 equivalent).
Abilities: able to understand complex texts, engage in detailed discussions and conversations.
Example: Can you explain why this solution is better? (Können Sie erklären, warum diese Lösung besser ist?)
C1 [Advanced]
Exam Alignment: Goethe-Zertifikat C1, TestDaF (University level), IELTS (7.5 equivalent)
Abilities: Express your or any ideas fluently, understand small and subtle meanings in texts.
Example: Despite the challenges, the project was successful (Trotz der Herausforderungen war das Projekt erfolgreich.)
C2 [Proficient]
Exam Alignment: Goethe-Zertifikat C2, IELTS (8.5+ equivalent).
Abilities: Proficiency and mastery of the language, discuss highly specialized topics with ease and control.
Example: Her speech elegantly encapsulated the essence of the event. (Ihre Rede fasste elegant das Wesentliche der Veranstaltung zusammen.)
How levels align with exam requirement
Each levels clearance opens opportunities to different goals mentioned below;
Immigration
- A1 and B1 level clearance is required for German integrated visa clearance, depending upon the programme.
Work
- Professional role: B2- C1
- Basic or regular jobs: A2-B1
Education and Academic exams
- TestDAF: B2-C1
- DSH: C1 clearance required for university admissions
Study Aborad
- Master’s programmes and research roles require C1
- Bachelors programs often require B1 or B2
Challenges Beginners Face and How to Overcome Them
At the beginning of learning any language it’s always hard to get a good hold of it and to get fluent in it takes time. For beginners to properly be able to maintain the learning streak few things need to be kept in mind.
- Long-term mindset : In this mind set we always aim for permanent results, treating learning as a journey. Whatever you’ll learn, you learn at a spaced time line with consistent practice.
- Consistency looks different : the idea is to keep on at the task no matter how long it takes. Keep on persisting on learning until you get past certain levels. Consistency doesn’t mean you do it everyday it means you won’t give up on it on a time scale.
- Understand your need : common but true, what really matters in the end is your ability to know why learning a language is important. Setting realistic standards helps anyone to stick with something long enough to finish it.
Recommended Resources for German Learning and Exam Preparation
There are tons of resources available both paid and free, you can choose among the countless resources right enough to get your first step cleared on your journey.
Apps
There are countless language training apps available and some of it is free too. You can learn any language at any time with pre-designed modules and 24/7 doubt support. However not all apps are made equal so you might not get a feature here and there.
Speekiai app
The Speeki Ai app is a lot different from what you usually see to be available. Being the best german language institute in Ernakulam, Kerala. The Speeki Ai app is an amazing option for online and offline learning with real time trainers actually willing to help you succeed.
- User friendly design
- Structured module
- Trainer support
- Experience backed learning
The app highlights everything amazing being part of the best german language institute in Ernakulam, Kerala
Speeki Ai German course
The Speeki Ai platform offers amazing courses specifically for language learners and they’re German learning course is just the right choice for those preparing for educational facilities and job opportunities in Germany specifically.
Learn from the best german language institute in Ernakulam, Kerala with every expert developed tips and support.
- Online and offline classes
- Mentor support
- Effective modules
- Practice tests
- Community support
- Language proficiency mock
Personalized tutoring
Speeki Ai also pioneers in providing personalized tutoring services for individuals who require an in depth base in it. We have highly effective tutoring experts who they hand pick according to experience and proven relevance in the field.
You can choose our personalized tutoring service if you are;
- Student
- Professional
- Looking for jobs abroad
- Plainly wish to learn
Either way we have curated a course just for you!
Practical Tips to Stay Motivated
After going through all the basics here are some final tips to keep in mind as you progress through your journey. Make the most out of your time and effort by adding these tips to your routine as well.
Celebrate small milestones
You won’t be able to appreciate your progress if you don’t celebrate your small wins. Reward yourself with small gifts as you complete smaller tasks or activities. For example;
- Learning 50 words
- Speaking with whole sentences for 5 min
And plenty of other things.
Track progress with language apps
Use language apps to the fullest as you can track your progress and even easily pick out your mistakes as well while learning and adapting on the way.
Use apps to mainly;
- Set reminders
- Schedule learning sessions
- Practice speaking
- Communicate with others
Surround yourself with German content
Make sure to take advantage of German songs, movies and easily available language sources that will help you practice your speaking even better. Start from the most popular ones and learn their meaning and emulate them if you can.
Conclusion
In the end the whole point is to commit yourself to the process of learning so that you can accomplish the best of your goals without having to face set backs. There are plenty of learning resources available and services choose the one that suits the best.
If you wish to learn from the best german language institute in Ernakulam, Kerala then Speeki Ai is your best bet and most popular way to crack your dream life in germany.
